


Therapeutic Agony

by Anything_Really, darkest_nights_will_end



Category: Degrassi, Degrassi the Next Generation, Degrassi: Next Class
Genre: Co-Written, Family Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Married Triles, Possible multichapter?, Sibling Fluff, Triles has a son
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-17 19:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9338906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anything_Really/pseuds/Anything_Really, https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkest_nights_will_end/pseuds/darkest_nights_will_end
Summary: Miles knows that as a therapist, he isn't supposed to let personal emotions conflict with his clients. But when he deals with a case that hits close to home, he turns to his family for support.





	1. Emotional Extremes

Miles loved his job as a therapist, but sometimes, it just got to be too much. He had known going into it that it wouldn’t be easy, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want any child to feel like he had growing up, and he was going to do everything in his power to help them. And along the way, he made connections with many of his clients. There was nothing more rewarding than seeing a child smile or hearing them laugh. But of course, with such an emotionally taxing job came some stories that hit a bit close to home. And unfortunately, though he tried, Miles couldn’t save everyone from their shitty situations. 

 

Over the years, Miles had gotten used to controlling his emotions inside the workplace. After all, if he broke down crying, how was that going to help the kids he worked with? In that moment, he had to be a rock for them. But there was no rule that said Miles couldn’t let it out when he got home. 

 

And today had just been one of those days. 

 

Miles walked through the door. He was so emotionally drained that even closing it behind him was a challenge, but he managed. Once he removed his shoes and coat, he walked into the living room, where Tristan was seated in his usual spot, doing something on his laptop until he noticed Miles. Immediately, Tristan picked up on the signs that something was wrong. Miles was hunched over, his eyes were red, and his face was pale. It wasn’t the first time he had come home like this, so it was easy enough for Tristan to put the pieces together. Both men were grateful that their son, David, wouldn’t be home from school for a while, giving the two time alone.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Tristan asked, closing his laptop and walking over to his husband. He barely got the question out before Miles had wrapped his arms around Tristan, pulling him into a tight hug which the other man gladly returned.

 

“Work was hard.” Miles’s voice had barely raised above a whisper, but Tristan had heard it. The two stayed locked in embrace for a moment before Miles finally pulled away. Tears were starting to roll down his cheeks. 

 

“Come on, let’s go somewhere more comfortable.” Tristan laced their fingers together before gently leading him over to the couch. Miles rested his head on Tristan’s chest, listening to his husband’s heartbeat as he tried to gain his composure. However, now that he’d started, it was near impossible to stop. However, Tristan didn’t push him, instead running his hands up and down Miles’s arms in an attempt to provide some comfort. They sat in silence for a few moments until Miles finally spoke. 

 

“There were- I met with two new clients today. A boy and a girl.  _ Twins.  _ And they’re just-  _ so little _ ? You know? Only 13 years old. And just? Why do people hurt children, Tris? Do you know why? Because I just don’t understand how somebody could look at a child and hit them. It was their father-mother died when they were young. And even though they’ve been removed, the boy still has a bruise on his face, and the girl wouldn’t even look me in the eyes. They’re supposed to be happy and carefree. Not-  _ this _ .” Once he’d started, Miles couldn’t stop ranting. Because of confidentiality rules, Miles couldn’t give too much information away, such as names, but he trusted Tristan with what he did share. Tears were streaming down his face as he finally let out all of the frustration from the day. 

 

Tristan listened intently, letting Miles rant. His heart ached for the twins that Miles was describing. While he figured that Miles did not know them very well, (he was very knowledgeable about the client confidentiality rules, though he wasn’t really sure how much information Miles could legally give away, nor how much information Miles himself actually  _ knew _ ) Tristan could tell  that this case was a bit personal for Miles.

 

“But you said they’re out of that home, right? So they’re away from him?” Tristan questioned. 

 

“Yeah, but the system doesn’t always give something better. They could very easily get placed in different homes. You _ know _ how I feel about twins being separated, but these two really can’t afford it. If you had seen them, you’d know what I mean.” Miles knew he was speaking from personal experience, but he didn’t care. He always fought to keep siblings, but especially twins, together. 

 

Tristan felt like he knew where this was going. He couldn’t say he wasn’t slightly wary about the unspoken idea. It was obvious that Miles wanted to help these kids in a more  _ personal _ way than he would ever be able to solely by doing his job, though Tristan truly wasn’t sure what Miles had in mind. Fostering? Adopting? They hadn’t done either before, and while they heard that many had amazing results, Tristan always worried about the possibility that things wouldn’t work out like they wanted them to. They had their license to foster, but nothing had come from it yet.

 

“Today was your first time meeting them, right?” Miles nodded. “I know you’re concerned, and I understand, but it’s important to not get ahead of ourselves. I know you want to save them, but there are some things to think about. Maybe you should meet with them a few more times, just to get to know them a bit better.” Tristan suggested. He didn’t want Miles’s first instinct emotions to be the driving force behind such an important decision. 

 

“How did you know what I was thinking?” Miles asked. Miles wasn’t sure what he wanted, if he was being honest. He just wanted to take away the pain he’d seen in those kids’ eyes. He knew what that pain felt like. 

 

“Because I know  _ you _ . And, you know, maybe we can start with a weekend visit or something, if you’re still truly passionate about this after meeting with them some more. And if _ that _ goes well, then maybe we can revisit the idea.” Tristan offered. It was easier for him to think reasonably than it was for Miles at the moment. 

 

Miles nodded, knowing that Tristan was right. He looked forward to seeing the twins again, hoping that they could make progress during their next session together. It was hard, but so rewarding when it paid off.

 

“Sorry for unloading all of that on you,” Miles said. “I know that I shouldn’t be this affected, that I should be prepared for this stuff, it’s my _ job _ , it’s just- it was like staring at Hunter and Frankie. I couldn’t help it.”

 

“Don’t apologize for having feelings, Miles. With all that you’ve been through, you can’t expect certain things not to affect you on a personal level. Your job is  _ hard _ , but guess what? I’m right here. You don’t have to apologize for talking to me about anything, especially things that are hard.” Tristan told him, giving him a small, reassuring smile.

 

“What did I do to deserve you?” Miles asked, a smile forming on his face for the first time since arriving home.

 

“Well, you being a rich, handsome,  _ doctor  _ helps a lot.” Tristan joked, throwing a wink in his husband’s direction. “But even if you weren’t, I’d still love you,” he assured Miles, causing the other man to laugh. 

 

“Yeah, well I’m only in it for the sex,” Miles retorted. It wasn’t as though everything was suddenly fixed, but Miles felt much better than he had earlier.

 

He leaned up to kiss his husband, but they were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. 

 

“Dads?” David called out, making his presence in the house known.

 

“In here!” Miles called back. They heard his footsteps getting louder, and sure enough, David soon appeared in the living room, joining Miles and Tristan. He rolled his eyes at his dads’s proximity to each other.

 

“Really? It’s been how long since you’ve seen each other?” He joked, blissfully unaware of how much his father had been hurting just moments prior. 

 

“It’s called being in love.” Tristan replied. He and Miles rolled their eyes simultaneously at their son, despite the circumstances that led them to the position they were in.

 

“Yeah, alright, whatever you say.  _ Anyway _ , onto something important, what’s for dinner? I’m starving.” David asked.  

 

Tristan rolled his eyes. “You’re  _ always  _ starving,” Miles can’t help but laugh. 

 

“I’m a growing teenage boy. Not that either of you’d know much about that. It’s been, what, twenty years since either of you have been teenagers?” David said, giving them that Hollingsworth smirk that both Tristan and Miles knew too well. 

 

“You better be careful, or I’ll call your Aunt and have her cook you dinner.” David froze in fear at his Dad’s suggestion.

 

“You  _ wouldn’t _ .” 

 

“Oh I  _ would _ . Don’t underestimate me, Miles David Hollingsworth.” David cringed at the use of his full name. 

 

“Okay,  _ okay _ , please, just don’t call Aunt Frankie, I’d rather  _ die _ than eat her cooking. I’m still recovering from the meatloaf incident.” David begged, Miles chuckled. 

 

“Go do your homework.” Miles told him, gesturing him away with his hand. David all but runs out of their sight. 

 

“That’s one way to get rid of him.” Tristan laughed. Miles shrugged, pulling Tristan in close. 

 

“Yeah, well, now we can continue what we were doing before we were so  _ rudely _ interrupted.” Miles gave Tristan a smile before pressing their lips together. They enjoyed the moment until Tristan broke the kiss, not wanting to get to heated while their son was in the house.

 

“You know it’s been awhile since we’ve seen the twins. Did you want to call and invite them over for dinner?” Tristan suggested. Miles smiled at the thought of seeing his siblings. It was days like today that really reminded him how much he loved them.

 

“Yeah, that sounds really nice. I’ll go do that now.” Miles detangled himself from Tristan, getting up off the couch and pulling out his phone. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

 

“Take your time, Miles.” Tristan smiled at him. “I’ll be here.”

 

Miles exited the room, dialing the first number. His face breaking out into a smile when he heard the all-too-familiar voice.

 

_ “Hello?” _

 

“Hey, Franks? How have you been? I miss you…”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miles has his second encounter with the twins that turns out better than expected, and we find out a little more about David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> We've been meaning to post this since Saturday, but between editing, school, work, and a bunch of other things, the time just got away from us. But better late than never!
> 
> So we should have said this at the start of chapter one, but this story is going to deal with child abuse in multiple forms. Another disclaimer is that while one of us has been to therapy before, and is studying to be a therapist, neither of us currently have extensive knowledge of how therapy sessions for somebody with a case like Miles's clients would work. We're doing the best we can to be respectful and as accurate as we can be.
> 
> Some fun highlights of this chapter include: Meeting the twins (we even get to learn their names yay), a little background on David, and the introduction of Frankie, Hunter, and Owen.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, left kudos, or followed. We're having lots of fun writing!

It wasn’t until the week after his initial encounter that Miles had another appointment with the twins. When he got up that morning, there was a ball of anxiety in his stomach. With any new client, there was an element of surprise, but this felt different. It seemed that there was a lot riding on how these sessions went.

“Hey. It’s going to be okay. I’m sure things will be great.” Tristan sensed his husband’s anxiety and reassured him. Miles gave him a nervous smile as he buttoned up his shirt, taking longer than normal due to his shaky fingers.

 

“I hope so. I really want to make some progress today. Really get to know them.” Even if he turned out to be nothing but their therapist, Miles still cared about the kids, and wanted them to succeed. 

 

“Did you want me to take David to school today? Just one less thing for you to worry about.” Miles contemplated for a moment before answering.

 

“Does that make me a bad parent? If I put my work above my kid?” 

 

“You’re nowhere near a bad parent, Miles. But I think it would be a good idea for you to take some time for yourself before work starts so you can clear your head and collect yourself.” 

 

“Alright, yeah. That would be great. Thanks, Tris. I promise I’ll make it up to you.” He swore, shooting his husband a thankful smile.

 

“There’s no need. He’s my son too, after all,” Tristan reminded him. 

 

Miles shrugged. He still felt bad for pushing his responsibilities off on him, but Tristan was right. It was a partnership.

 

“Everything will be fine, okay? I’m going to go make sure David is awake, but I hope you have a great day, and you know you can call if you need anything.” Tristan fixed Miles’s collar for him, kissing his husband on the cheek. 

 

“I love you,” Miles told him, as Tristan went to exit the room. Tristan stopped in his tracks, turning back to Miles. “Thank you for being so supportive. You know that means a lot to me.”

 

“I love you too, Miles.” Tristan gave him a smile. “And you have nothing to thank me for. I’ll  _ always _ support you, no matter what.” 

 

“I’ll text you at my lunch break,” Miles told Tristan, who nodded in response before exiting the room in search of their son, leaving Miles alone. 

 

* * *

 

Miles arrived at his office at around half past 8, and parked his car in the spot that was reserved for him. He checked his watch as he made his way inside the building, gripping at the satchel that was slung over his shoulder. The twins- Aria and Alexander were their names- wouldn’t be arriving until 9:30, which gave Miles plenty of time to contemplate the meaning of life. (Or, file the large stack of paperwork that has been sitting on his desk for at least three weeks. He really wished he had the self esteem to hire an assistant, but really, Miles doesn’t do enough to truly need one.)

 

As he placed his items on the floor next to his desk, he began to sort through the seemingly infinite amount of forms and patient records (momentarily reconsidering the prospect of hiring an assistant while doing so). He filed them in their appropriate places, closing the drawer with slight annoyance. Glancing at his watch again, he moved towards the desk to gather the notepad he usually used, and a pen, before settling back at his desk for a moment. He had a little less than fifteen minutes until his first appointment.

 

Miles couldn’t say that he wasn’t nervous, because he  _ was _ . He was  _ very _ nervous. What if something went wrong? What if they didn’t like him? He really thought he had an opportunity to bond with these kids. He’d been doing this for years after all, and he’d learned how to adapt to various situations. He’d endured some troubled kids over the years, and sometimes they were quiet. Others cried, screamed, or lashed out in some other way. Miles had seen it all. So it didn’t  _ make sense  _ for Miles to be this nervous. 

 

But, as he so often was forced to, Miles detached himself from his feelings. He was a doctor, his job was to help others, not to unload all his emotions onto others. 

 

He didn’t quite understand why he had felt such a connection to those kids. Miles saw new clients all the time, and while he always felt for them, and was determined to help them, it had never been so personal. Really, he didn’t even know that much about them. It was just a feeling that he had.

 

Miles swallowed the saliva forming in his throat, adjusting the collar of the shirt his husband had fixed so nicely that morning. A knock came from the door, and Miles stood from the chair. He placed a gentle smile on his face, and went to open the door. 

 

Unsurprisingly, he was met with one of the social workers who worked in the building, with Alexander and Aria standing in front of her, looking off to the side uncomfortably. Although they had met before, Miles knew that they were probably interacting with a lot of new people, and at this point in time, he was just another vaguely familiar face. He stepped to the side, allowing them access into his room. 

 

“You’re just going to talk to Dr. Hollingsworth for a while, alright? He’s very nice. And then I’ll be back to pick you up,” the social worker said, nudging them inside as she handed Miles a folder with case information. Not that Miles needed it, he’d studied up on them already.

 

“Come on in guys, make yourselves comfortable,” Miles said gently. They each took a seat on the couch, sitting very close together. Miles exchanged quick notes with his coworker before closing the door, sitting in the chair opposite them. 

 

“How have you been since last week?” He started with a simple question, knowing very well what kind of a reply he was going to get.

 

“Okay, I guess.” Alexander shrugged. 

 

“I know it’s probably been overwhelming for you two, so I thought today we could just get to know each other better, since we’ll hopefully be talking to each other a lot in the near future.” Miles began. He knew that they would never open up to him about deeper trauma unless they got his trust first. “So how about I tell you a bit about myself first, and then maybe you can tell me something about yourselves? Does that sound okay?” 

 

“Okay.” Alexander nodded, his voice very quiet.

 

“So my name is Dr. Hollingsworth, but you can just call me Miles. No need to deal with that doctor crap, it’s too fancy for my liking anyway,” he joked, pleased when both twins let a smile cross their faces. “Hmm.. I have a little brother and sister, although they’re not so little anymore. Twins actually, just like you. My husband and I have a son-”

 

“Wait, you have a husband?” Alexander blurted out, before quickly taking it back. “I’m sorry-” 

 

“I do. We’ve been together since high school,” Miles answered, a smile on his face. “You want to see a photo of him?” Miles asked, to which both twins nodded. Miles took his wallet out of his back pocket, and picked a photo with him, David, and Miles. “That’s my son, David, in the middle there.” He handed the photo to Alexander, who looked somewhat astounded. 

 

“I- That’s really cool. My father always said that men couldn’t marry other men.” It seemed more like an offhanded comment than anything. Miles made a quick note of the tone he used speaking of his father. 

 

“They couldn’t everywhere until very recently.” Miles gave a reassuring smile. Alexander nodded, showing the picture to his sister. Miles was glad to see she makes a small smile at the image. Alexander handed the photo back to Miles carefully after Aria was finished looking at it. 

 

“Do you guys want to tell me anything about yourselves?” Miles asked. The purpose of this session was supposed to be about them, not him, but he would do whatever it took to get them to at least feel comfortable around Miles.

 

“Well, I’m Alexander, but I like to be called Alex, and this is my sister, Aria. We’re supposed to start High School in the fall, but the people here aren’t sure if that’ll happen. I guess it depends on if they find us a home or not. It would probably be easier, everyone says, if Ari and I went to separate homes, but we don’t want that.” Alex’s tone was nonchalant, but just by the look in his eyes, that he was worried about the uncertainty of their future. Miles listened to him, but noted that Aria had yet to speak at all. 

 

“I promise you, Alex, the team that works here is going to do everything they can to make sure everything turns out okay,” he reassured the boy, before turning to his sister. “What about you? I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of officially meeting yet.” He smiled.

 

“Oh, Ari doesn’t talk much around other people. Our dad would get really mad if she talked a lot. But between you and me, I think that’s stupid. She should talk as much as she wants. She’s really smart.” Miles made a note of Alex’s statement before continuing.

 

“I agree, I would love to hear what Aria has to say,” Miles said, looking at her. She smiled at him, before looking at Alex, as if asking his permission.

 

“He won’t hurt you. He seems really nice. But even if he tried, you know I’d protect you.” Alex told her. Aria nodded, but said nothing. 

 

“She doesn’t have to say anything this time, if she doesn’t want to.” Miles told Alexander, “We want to make sure she’s comfortable, right?”

 

“Yeah, of course.” Alexander nodded, turning to his sister.  “You don’t have to say anything now, Ari, next time.” She nods, looking at Miles apologetically.

 

“Just so you know, I’m not mad, or upset with you. You’ll know when you’re ready. And when that time comes, we’ll be here.” He smiled, which she returned gently. 

 

* * *

 

 

Tristan didn't receive a text from Miles that day at his lunch break. He couldn't say he wasn't a little worried, but Tristan always liked to keep positive thoughts. He never knew when it came to Miles, though. He couldn't help but worry. He knew Miles’s past, and he knew that his mind worked a lot differently than most people’s. 

 

Sometimes it surprised Tristan how much Miles enjoyed his job, despite the hardships. Yes, he had always known that Miles had a desire to help and protect, and while Miles had come a long way since high school, his significant other couldn’t help but worry that he would snap one day.

 

Frankie and Hunter were over at their house, helping Tristan prepare dinner. They had wanted to be there when Miles got home to see how it went. 

 

“What time is he usually home?” Frankie asked, getting impatient. Miles hadn’t told his siblings much, only that he was dealing with an important case. Tristan refused to give any more information about  _ why _ the case was so important, figuring that Miles should tell them himself. After all, Tristan knew that at the heart of it, he saw his brother and sister inside the two clients, whose names Tristan still had yet to be told.

 

“He's usually home by now. He should  _ definitely _ be home before Dav-” Tristan was cut off by the sound of the door opening. 

“Hey, sorry I’m late- I decided to pick up David from school, since I didn't get to take him in today.” Miles announced as he leads the 15 year old in the door, his arm around his shoulders. 

 

David looked confused. A little uncomfortable, but mostly confused. “Why is Dad hugging me and smiling at me like some sort of maniac?” David asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

Tristan shakes his head with a smile. “Your dad loves you.” 

 

“Okay,” David pulls away from his father. “Look Dad, it’s your favorite Hollingsworths, why don’t you go say hi to them..?” David pushed him towards Hunter and Frankie. David shaked his head towards Tristan, and exited the room. 

 

Tristan observed the hugs Miles gave to Hunter and especially Frankie. He couldn’t help but wonder slightly what had happened today at work that had Miles in such a  _ good _ mood. Not that it was particularly strange that Miles was in a good mood, Miles was a relatively positive person, but Miles was usually more reserved and solemn when he returns home from work. He has a very emotionally taxing job, after all. To be truthful, Tristan almost hated having to go back to work after working from home for close to a year. Miles joked that he was the “stay at home dad that every stay at home dad wished they could be.” It was probably just to ease Tristan’s pride in the matter, but he appreciated the attempt. 

 

“I love you guys,” Miles tells the twins. “I would love you more if you two would go ahead and get married and give me nieces and nephews, but… I suppose it’s up to Tristan and me to keep the Hollingsworth name alive.”

 

“I promise someday I’ll have  _ lots and lots  _ of unprotected sex and give you all the nieces and nephews you want,” Frankie joked to her older brother, knowing it would make him cringe, even though she was a fully grown adult. “And hey, you don't need to be married, or even have a partner, to have children, just saying.”

 

“Get married first.” Miles instructed in his “father” tone. “Then,” He cringed at the thought of his  _ baby sister _ having unprotected sex with someone. “Give me a niece or nephew.” Miles paused.

 

“You realize you have an actual  _ child?  _ You don't need any of our offspring.” Hunter deadpanned. “And might I remind you that  _ technically,  _ David  _ did  _ come from Franks.” Hunter pointed out, wrapping an arm around her to prove his point.

 

“Not the same. I can’t spoil David. I want a child I can spoil before I have grandchildren. And believe me, I’m not having grandchildren for a  _ long time _ if I can help it.”

 

“Says you. You’re the one who was having sex with everything that  _ moved _ at his age.” Frankie joked, Hunter hitting her slightly.

 

“In my defense, our parents didn’t know how to take care of a  _ houseplant _ , much less three children. I’m a doctor, Tristan is a professor. I’d say David already has a leg up.” Miles claimed, crossing his arms.

 

“That why you decided to name your child the most narcissistic name on the planet?” Hunter smirked. 

 

“Oh shut up, you’re just mad I didn’t name him after you.” Miles said, rolling his eyes. “And that was a  _ mutual _ decision, thank you very much.” Miles looked to Tristan for support. Tristan nodded. “It was actually Tristan’s idea.”

 

“It's a family name, after all. And I thought that if we continued the tradition, it would help this one get rid of the negative stigma he has associated with the name.” Tristan realized that they never really explained why they named David after the family name that Miles loathed so intently. “We wanted to be the ones that changed the meaning of it instead of throwing away the its history.”

 

“Still sounds damn narcissistic to me.” Hunter rolls his eyes. “I bet Owen wasn't happy when he found out you named David after Miles, eh Tris?” 

 

“He wasn't happy… at first.” Tristan shook his head. 

 

* * *

 

 

_ Tristan and Miles were nervous. No, nervous was an understatement, especially for Miles. For some reason, he had always been intimidated by his partner’s brother. Maybe it was because he knew just how intense older siblings could be. _

 

_ The day had come where Owen would be seeing David for the first time since he was born. David was only a few weeks old, but Owen hadn’t come around again until now because he wanted to give the couple time to adjust.  _

 

_ “Why aren’t we telling Owen what his name is, again?” Miles asked, his eyebrow cocked slightly.  _

 

_ “We aren’t harboring any information from him, he just didn’t ask at the hospital. Besides, everything was so crazy.” Tristan tried to cover for himself, but alas, Miles saw through the act.  _

 

_ “So you’re worried he’s going to be pissed we named him after me, yeah?” Miles gave his husband a knowing look. Tristan gave him a ‘shut up’ look, and peered back into David’s crib. “You know, we didn’t have to name him after me,” Miles said, looking at Tristan, who was looking at their sleeping three-week-old.  _

 

_ “I already told you, Miles, I wanted to. You didn’t force me into anything. It was my idea.” Tristan told him, looking back to him.  _

 

_ “Yeah, I know.” Miles said, shrugging. Tristan moved closer, grabbing him by the shoulders.  _

 

_ “It was a mutual decision, remember? No need to feel guilty for having a family name, Miles. We decided to carry on the tradition, it’s not a big deal.” _ __   
  


_ “Why are we so nervous? Owen may not like it at first, but that’s his issue, not ours.” Miles said in a wave of self confidence. “He’s our son.” _

 

_ “Exactly.” Tristan smiled at the man standing before him. “Just remember that in approximately twenty minutes.”  _

 

_ “Wait, he’s coming over in twenty minutes??” Miles asked, suddenly more nervous than he had been before.  _

 

_ “Yep, and everything is going to be fine.” Tristan nodded.  _

 

_ “After Owen kills me, I suppose.” Miles muttered underneath his breath.  _

 

_ They waited until Owen arrived to their house before discussing any more. Miles bit his lip, standing behind Tristan slightly as they moved to answer the door.  _

 

_ “Hey, O,” Tristan said, opening the door. “Come in.”  _

 

_ Owen engulfed his brother in a hug as he entered their house. Although the relationship between the two brothers hadn’t always been like this, as they got older, their bond got stronger. Looking at them now, it would be hard to believe the two weren’t best friends in their youth. _

 

_ “So? How’s parenthood treating you?” Owen asked, after shaking Miles’s hand as he looked between the two. _

 

_ “I don’t think I’ve slept in 4 days,” Tristan joked. “But really, it’s been great so far.” Owen smiled at his brother’s obvious happiness.  _

 

_ “Am I going to get to see the little guy, or…?” He asked. Owen was actually quite excited to have a nephew. He liked kids, but because he didn’t have any of his own, he was prepared to be invested in his brother’s son. _

 

_ “Yeah, I’ll go get him,” Miles said, exiting the room, partially so he could collect his thoughts. He knew that he shouldn’t be worried, but he couldn’t help it.  _

 

_ He rejoined his husband and brother-in-law moments later, baby in tow. They had made their way into the living room. Gently passing David into Owen’s arms, he sat next to Tristan on the couch, the two immediately locking hands.  _

 

_ “So things were so crazy at the hospital, I forgot to ask, what did you name him?” He asked, not even bothering to look up, too engrossed in the child in front of him. Miles smiled. It was like it was the first time he had seen him or something. _

 

_ “His full name is Miles David Hollingsworth IV, but we just call him David.” This caught Owen’s attention, and he raised an eyebrow at the two. Miles squeezed Tristan’s hand in fear. _

 

_ “You named him after Hollingsworth?” Owen said, nodding towards Miles, who refused eye contact. “No name out there better than that?” _

 

_ “No, it’s not like that. And for the record, I was the one who pushed for it.” Tristan said. _

 

_ “Why though? Like you just couldn't find one better?” Owen asked, slightly annoyed. Tristan knew he wasn't really that annoyed with the fact, but that it was as if Tristan was choosing Miles over Owen once again. _

 

_ Tristan explained why they wanted to name him after Miles, the conversation lacked severely. No one spoke, and Owen looked more annoyed than before. Tristan and Miles exchanged looks.  _

 

_ “I don't hate the name.” Owen said, “it’s just going to take a while to get used to. I have nothing against you Hollingsworth, but I figured the least you could do is try to take a name from our side of the family for your son. Especially considering you took his name in the marriage.”  _

 

_ “O-”  _

 

_ “No, you don't have to apologize. I’m sorry I can't get right on board with the name. Just give me a while.”  _

 

_ “Owen, we aren't trying to disrespect our side of the family,” Tristan told him. “We just wanted our first born to be named after Miles, because that's a family name, and we thought we could carry over the tradition.”  _

 

_ “I get it. It's okay.” Owen assured him. “As long as you're both happy.” _

 

* * *

 

 

“He got over it, eventually.” Miles told Hunter, who rolled his eyes at the mere sound of his brother’s voice. 

 

“I was just kidding, jeez.” Hunter half-joked. “I didn’t need a life story. You know, I knew a guy named David once. He was a prick. Complete douchebag. Try not to let him become like that, yeah?” 

 

“We’ll try our best.” Miles laughed, nodding to Tristan.

 

“Anyway,” Frankie interjected, joining them again. “Dinner’s ready.”

  
“Who made it?” Hunter asked her, and Frankie hit him on the chest. “What? Your cooking is awful!”

 

“Shut up.” Frankie sneered. “I didn’t make it, it’s take-out.” 

 

“Oh thank god,” Everyone sighed with relief. Frankie scoffed. 

 

“I hate every single one of you.” Frankie rolled her eyes, following them into the kitchen where they would have dinner, 

 

Tristan grabbed Miles as he went, pulling him back. “You okay?”   
  


Miles was taken aback by this question, but smiled anyway. “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” Tristan shook his head, laughing slightly at Miles’ reaction. 

 

“No reason, you just seem really happy.” Tristan said, “Something we should talk about?”   
  


“Not right now,” Miles stated, “But I just had a really good day, you know?” Tristan smiled, not feeling the need to answer. He took Miles’ hand, pulling him to the table with the rest of the family to enjoy a nice dinner.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> The idea from this came from a conversation I had with my best friend Angela (and this story's co-writer) about what Miles would do with his future. We agreed that he'd probably want to do something to help kids, especially kids from abusive homes. 
> 
> What do people think about this turning into a multichapter with Tristan and Miles eventually fostering the aforementioned twins? Both Ang and I are really excited about the possibilities this story could yield.
> 
> Thanks to everybody who has read, reviewed, or left kudos!
> 
> -Del and Ang


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